Termite Inspection Cost for Home Buyers in 2026
Real estate inspection
$100-$325
HomeGuide
VA or FHA inspection
$50-$200
HomeGuide
WDO inspection
$150-$300
HomeGuide
Real estate inspection
$62-$277
LawnStarter
National compiled estimates: HomeGuide (page updated 22 November 2025) and LawnStarter. No source we found publishes a price by state or by state form. For every inspection type, see termite inspection cost.
When your loan needs a termite inspection, and who pays
| Loan | Inspection needed |
|---|---|
| VA | When the Notice of Value is conditioned on it. VA's local requirements call for wood-destroying insect information statewide in 35 states and territories, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and California among them.Who pays: The veteran may pay since Circular 26-22-11 (15 June 2022); VA encourages negotiating it with the seller. |
| FHA, existing home | When the appraiser sees evidence of infestation or a prior treatment (HUD Handbook 4000.1).Who pays: Not set by HUD; agree it in the purchase contract. |
| FHA, new construction | The builder's guarantee, form HUD-NPMA-99-A, unless the county is on HUD's Termite Treatment Exception Areas list.Who pays: Part of the builder's paperwork. |
| Conventional or cash | The lender's own rule, or your choice. A state rule may still name the form any report must use.Who pays: Agree it in the purchase contract. |
VA. VA used to allow the veteran to be charged for the inspection report only in a limited number of states. Circular 26-22-11 changed that on 15 June 2022: the veteran may be charged wood destroying pest inspection fees wherever the Notice of Value requires the report, and may pay for repairs needed to meet VA's Minimum Property Requirements, which must be completed before the loan is guaranteed. The lender keeps an itemized invoice naming the veteran and the property. Write who pays into the offer.
FHA. HUD Handbook 4000.1 does not require an inspection on every existing home: the lender orders one when the appraiser sees evidence of infestation or a prior treatment. New construction is different, and needs the builder's HUD-NPMA-99-A guarantee outside HUD's exception areas.
Sources: VA Circular 26-22-11, Pest Inspection Fees and Repair Costs (15 June 2022); VA, Local Requirements (wood-destroying insect information); HUD Handbook 4000.1 (last revised 12 Aug 2026); HUD, Termite Treatment Exception Areas.
NPMA-33 or a state form
NPMA's guideline says the NPMA-33 must be used to report wood destroying insect inspections for HUD and VA guaranteed sales and is typically used for conventional ones, but where a state requires its own approved form and excludes all others, the state form must be used. These are the official forms named in the rules of the states this site covers. No source publishes a price for any of them.
Source for the NPMA-33 rule: NPMA, guideline for completing the NPMA-33 (revised 13 Aug 2019). South Carolina's CL-100 has its own page: CL-100 inspection cost.
What the report does and does not tell you
- It reports visible evidence on the inspection date. NPMA's form states plainly that it is not a structural damage report; ask a structural professional about damage.
- Areas the inspector could not reach (finished walls, stored boxes, ceiling tile) are listed as obstructed. Hidden damage can sit behind them.
- Some state forms carry a guarantee. Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana require free treatment if termites are found within 90 days of an official report that certified the home free of them.
- A free inspection from a treatment company usually arrives with a treatment quote. HomeGuide notes some companies inspect free; get a second written quote before you agree to treatment as a condition of sale.
If the report finds termites, price the work on the termite treatment cost calculator and check what any existing termite bond on the house covers before closing.
Common questions
How much does a termite inspection cost when buying a home?+
HomeGuide puts a real estate termite inspection at $100 to $325 and one for a VA or FHA loan at $50 to $200; LawnStarter puts a real estate termite inspection at $62 to $277. These are national compiled estimates (HomeGuide's page updated 22 November 2025, checked October 2026). HomeGuide adds that some companies inspect free, which usually means the inspection comes with a treatment quote.
Can a veteran pay for the termite inspection on a VA loan?+
Yes. VA Circular 26-22-11, dated 15 June 2022 and valid until rescinded, authorises in advance that veterans may be charged wood destroying pest inspection fees where the Notice of Value requires the inspection, and may pay for repairs needed to meet VA's Minimum Property Requirements. VA encourages veterans to negotiate the cost of the inspection and repairs with the seller. The lender needs an itemized invoice naming the veteran and the property to support the fee on the Closing Disclosure.
Does an FHA loan require a termite inspection?+
Not on every home. For an existing home, HUD Handbook 4000.1 makes the lender confirm the property is free of wood-destroying insects and order a pest inspection when the appraiser sees evidence of infestation or a prior treatment. A new-construction FHA loan needs the builder's Subterranean Termite Protection Builder's Guarantee (form HUD-NPMA-99-A), unless the county is on HUD's Termite Treatment Exception Areas list.
What is the NPMA-33?+
The NPMA-33 is the National Pest Management Association's Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report. NPMA's guideline says it must be used to report wood destroying insect inspections for HUD and VA guaranteed transactions and is typically used for conventional sales too, but where a state requires its own approved form and excludes all others, the state form must be used. The report covers visible evidence only and states that it is not a structural damage report.
Which states have their own termite inspection form?+
Of the states this site covers, 12 name an official real-estate inspection form in their rules, including the Official Georgia Wood Infestation Inspection Report, North Carolina's WDIR 100, South Carolina's CL-100, Texas's Official Wood Destroying Insect Report and Florida's WDO Inspection Report. Several of them, including Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana, attach a free-treatment guarantee if termites are found within 90 days. The table on this page lists each form with its rule.
This page is a cost guide. It is not pest control or real estate transaction advice, and we are not a pest control company. Confirm your loan's requirements with your lender.